Second Amendment advocates were able to get the state to grudgingly hand over the Department of Justice’s proposed rules on assault weapons and bullet buttons.

Attorneys working on behalf of the California Rifle and Pistol Association and the Firearms Policy Coalition were able to obtain the proposed 60-page regulatory change on Thursday following public records requests.

The state hasn’t released the proposed regulations to the public, submitting them to the California Office of Administrative Law as “file and print only” even though residents are facing an end of the year registration deadline to abide by the yet-to-be established rules.

Among the regulations in the mammoth retooling is an online application process for those registering guns. Users will have to create an account at the California Firearms Application Reporting System and provide personal information.

Requirements for those submitting newly considered assault weapons to DOJ will have to upload four clear digital photos of the firearm including of the magazine release, of each side of the receiver and of the barrel. Those producing homemade firearms will have to send in photos of the now-mandated DOJ-supplied serial number after it has been permanently applied to the gun.

Online applications will cost $15 and if the fee is not paid, the registration will not be processed.

Other changes include a host of updated legal definitions for what now constitutes an assault weapon and how they function following the adoption of new laws last year.

The gun rights groups advise they are still digesting the new rules and will take it from there, with Brandon Combs of the FPC telling Guns.com they will proceed with “filing a new federal civil rights lawsuit challenging the State’s ban on ‘assault weapons.’”

Attorneys for the CRPA and National Rifle Association will be hosting a free live webinar on May 25 at 12-noon pm PT to help California gun owners understand the DOJ’s proposal.

Both organizations this month announced lawsuits against the state over the total ban of what California considers large capacity magazines, those capable of holding more than 10 cartridges.